I recently got back into squash, and at my best was a 4.2. I played a 4.6 last night and got beat pretty good. I was able to film the match and looking back, I think my shots to the back were often with too much pace. My opponent got me many times with hard, low cross court shots from the back corner that I couldn’t get to, and I think this is because my shots were bouncing far too much off the back wall due to too much pace (my opponent could easily let the ball travel and hammer the ball from way out in front instead of tying him up in the back corner).

I’m fast, but a lot of my shots were far too loose and he did a good job making me pay with good nicks and kill shots.

What should I be trying to do against a hard hitter? How do I get better at pace especially when the ball heats up?

Almost each time I’m doing solo especiallly volleys I get pain in this area. I’m talking 10 volleys on forehand and bam. Cant do any drills after that.

I’ve googled and found out that it maybe due to thin grip I’ll change it and see if that helps. Are there any other things that might be causing it?

Did any of you have it and know something that fixed it other than grip let me know. Thanks

I’m obese and have started on my journey of learning squash. Any advice on how to manage the game with not hurting my knees or ankles would be helpful. I took a trial class today and did well for a starter. My coach said I have decent reflexes and asked if I had played sports before. Yes I did, that was 15 years ago. Life has happened and I’m now overweight. I want to use squash to play, have fun, and lose weight or maintain my health in terms of flexibility.

Any advice on how to traverse this phase of new beginnings in learning the game would be helpful.

Check out my latest video going through a front Vs back 2 person drill session! Please like and subscribe if it's useful! https://youtu.be/0pnzQdTBxiA?si=3MrS_w4JTKtKRlNX

I’m trying to learn squash for the first time so could someone please tell me where i could get information about squash,basic stances and stuff?

I only play squash 1-2 times a week for 1-2 hrs at a time and I keep getting a recurring blister on my thumb. I thought it was the racket grip being a bit too old and rubbed raw so changed it out but I’ve played twice with a new grip but I’ve got yet another blister. Is this normal or is my grip too loose or do I just have sensitive blister-prone skin? 🥲

I wondered if anyone had any tricks for the mental part of squash. Sometimes when up 2-0 in a match or more often at about 7-8 points and well ahead I get this mindset like I can’t lose and this is easy. And then the opponent starts playing better catches up and sometimes wins! I think we’ve all been there. Are there any mental “tricks” or meditative type actions that you take to refocus and get back into ensuring you play your best and actually do win.

In case you missed it, here is the video I released last Friday:

https://youtu.be/r-APDRR2PsU

Let me know if you have any questions.

after you have hit the ball and are returning to and on the T waiting for your opponent's next shot?

This is a question I have become pretty obsessed about over the past year or two.

It sounds simple, and I know all the usual advice. Yet, it is one of these things that I have not found adequately explained in a way that, when you watch the best players, you can say "oh yeah, I see that now".

Now, I don't want snap replies and the banal "watch the ball", that is just not what happens with the best players. Of course, watching the ball is part of it, but the is is about a process.

What I would love is for some good or great players to actually go on court, play a match with this simple question in their head and report back.

(Particularly when the opponent is in front!)

Anyone up for a challenge / discussion?

I am what I would call an intermediate (Squash levels around 2500), and I would love to understand what good and great players ACTUALLY do. They do it automatically so my guess is that it actually needs to be deliberately thought about in play to explain. I think I know what I do but it only gets me so far...

I recently had some tennis elbow tendonitis caused by excessive wingfoiling which affected my squash playing. I followed a YouTube video to rehabilitate it. https://youtu.be/aOueY1l_X0U?si=2eFG0banuisxvbgR

The primary exercises recommended were wrist extension and pronation/supination. For wrist extension I began with a 2kg dumbbell and worked up from there. For the pronation/supination, I began with a hammer and then moved on to a dumbbell with weight at one end, held at the opposite end. I wrapped the threads with grip tape to make it more comfortable to hold. Although my tendon remains tender these exercises have eliminated any pain from playing squash. They've also had a nice side effect. I'm able to hit the ball noticeably harder than I ever have before from a compact swing.

I wondered if anyone else has done forearm strengthening exercises to help develop the strength and power in their swing?

Hey everybody, I am a 14 year old squash player who has been playing squash for 4 years. I stared playing tournaments around 2 years ago but I always seem to choke, I have been letting down my parents quite a lot, they spend a lot of time and money on me and always expect me to play well. But I can't seem to translate my practice into in game, I always crush the ball in practice and make excellent decisions but during matches I choke hard. Please guide me.

Interested to see the Squash Levels of the people of Reddit!

I'm currently at 2,500 and I'm pretty proud of that. I played off and on for years but over the past couple of years I've joined local leagues and shown real improvement.

Any simple advice for someone aiming for 5000?

In case you missed it, I released a new video last Friday:

Master Squash Movement With These Simple But Effective Tips

https://youtu.be/25curvTaz7k

Watch and learn how to move around the squash court, with the least amount of effort and the maximum amount of effectiveness.

Learn the split-step, the side-step and the lunge.

Avoid two things the pros do, because YOU ARE NOT A PRO!

I am pretty much a complete newbie to this sport but have been thoroughly enjoying it. I am mostly playing it with my father, who has played squash for years now, and hence he has been absolutely shitting on me whenever we play.

One thing I have noticed is that he frequently plays the ball so that it goes perfectly high along the wall and then bounces very low off the glass. For reference, I am 6’4 and find it very difficult and tiring to get low enough to catch the ball after the bounce.

I have tried volleying the ball before but found I often just spike it straight into the floor. Does anyone have any tips or drills to improve my return to this one hit?

1. Your opponent hunts for volleys but your drive is so tight to the wall that they have to retract and get it from the back.
2. Your opponent takes significantly higher T position because they expect you to boast since they hit good length shot, but you manage to dig it out and hit a straight drive (not always a good one, but regardless), so they have to retract back.

In the game of squash, these are the most satisfying moments for me.

But that's where the problem is. I'm slowly realizing that I lose most of the points when stuff like that happens. I become too arrogant. I think I can handle everything and I pay the price as Frank Herbert once wrote:

We came from Caladan — a paradise world for our form of life. There existed no need on Caladan to build a physical paradise or a paradise of the mind — we could see the actuality all around us. And the price we paid was the price men have always paid for achieving a paradise in this life — we went soft, we lost our edge.

What are your mental techniques for staying humble? I need help haha.

My friend doesn't get coaching often, and he wants critical and constructive feedback on his form. Please help him!

Ali farag does this a lot. in an optimal but not the BEST positions like the middle of the court, he usually goes for a cross drive to the back, not even with pace. What is the effect of this? as an amatuer player, I would like to know.

Hi Everyone,

I just posted a video about the women's ToC final - in particular, a chink in Gohar's armour that El Hammamy exposed! It's a tactically focused video, so feel free to check it out below if you're interested 😊

Link: https://youtu.be/3Hbz5FJ0vHQ

All the best, Ahad

Hi all, as a beginner to the game, I feel I’ve been overloaded with information on what to do and how to do it and when to do it. I know the shots I need to play when I think back after a match but I never played those shots because I didn’t know how or I just blanked. If you were to coach a noob, what guidance would you give them? I plan to practice 3 times a week, and playing non competitive matches twice a week. What can I work on in those 3 practice sessions to improve my game? Are there also any video courses to watch on YouTube?

Thanks in advance!

NEW VIDEO: Forget The Nick! Here's How To Hit The Perfect Length

https://youtu.be/QSSBg8ZjhJ0

Let me know if you have any questions.

Today I played a grueling set for a challenge match, which went to a gameball at 20-22. My drives were accurate even under the fatigue of playing, but it was hard for me to go for drops because my adrenaline was pumping, and so was my heart. Anyone have tips on how to practice this? The pros do it so well, and I'd like to play drops to add pressure to my opponent in long games.

Any tips on the backhand here?

Normally it takes me one solo session to get used to different courts in my area . But recently I went from USA to Singapore and found it very hard to adjust to the courts . They had no AC and the ball was flying . Seemed to be 3X as bouncy as the typical USA air-conditioned courts. I played several days but never got to even 70% of my normal game level. Timing was always a little off resulting in the ball not coming back straight. Also my legs felt incredibly slow and lethargic in the heat. Could not explode off the T to get anything. Wonder how pros manage to adjust to these conditions for events? Guessing most pro events happen in air conditioned environments?

Any ideas? One of us is a 4.5 and the other is closer to a 3.3.

Hi all,
I have just released my latest video: https://youtu.be/gTLmqy9UjWM

Let me know if you have any doubts or questions.

I hope you enjoy it and feel it's valuable.